Blog

Federal Judge Declares OK Ban on Gay Marriage Unconstitutional

KOKH-TV Fox25 in Oklahoma City reported on January 14 that US District Court Judge Terence Kern has declared Oklahoma’s ban on gay marriage unconstitutional.

Kern, a native of Clinton, OK, added his ruling just weeks after similar bans were overturned in Utah and New Mexico.

In 2004, Oklahoma voters approved an amendment to the state constitution defining marriage as being between a man and a woman.

In response, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin released a statement:

“In 2004, the people of Oklahoma voted to amend the state’s constitution to define marriage as ‘the union of one man and one woman.’ That amendment passed with 75 percent support. The people of Oklahoma have spoken on this issue. I support the right of Oklahoma’s voters to govern themselves on this and other policy matters. I am disappointed in the judge’s ruling and troubled that the will of the people has once again been ignored by the federal government.”

Scott J. Hamilton, Executive Director of the Cimarron Alliance Equality Center, an LGBT education and advocacy organization based in central Oklahoma, monumental day in Oklahoma history.

“It is simply unconstitutional to prohibit marriage between same-gender loving couples. We have long known that this is not a battle we could wage on the state level. Instead, we knew it would require a federal judge to determine with authority that the state cannot violate the constitutional rights of its citizens,” Hamilton said in a release.

Attorney Graham Norris and his associates at the Norris Law Group serve the residents of Utah County and throughout Utah in the area of divorce. Contact them today at 801-932-1238 or online for a free consultation.

Utah Location

Wyoming Location

From The Blog

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (aka “ObamaCare”) enters its second year in 2015, and brings with it a host of new provisions. The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) outlines some of these provisions for large and small business owners: In 2015, the PPACA mandates that businesses with 100 or more full-time or […]

The California Chamber of Commerce (CalChamber) recently published a list of new laws that will affect businesses in California or entities that do business in California in 2015. These laws include (but are not limited to): Leaves of Absence Mandatory Sick Leave: The Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 (AB 1522) “requires employers to […]